Telemetry - What Equipment Is Needed?

Telemetry is the remote measurement or the remote collection of data. Telemetry is an automated measurement process which allows people to gather data from remote location and then transmit it to the receiving telemetry equipment in order that it can be interpreted, displayed and recorded.

Often the type of telemetry equipment that is used will depend on the type and the amount of data that is to be transmitted and whether the user requires remote control capabilities as well. In the most simple of telemetry systems the data will be displayed on an annunciator, indicator and recorder. But where larger systems are concerned, then both a video display terminal and data logging are frequently called into use. Also, you will often find that much of this data will be analyzed by computers in order to provide meaning for the readings before they are actually recorded.

One of the major parts of any telemetry system is the communication channels. When telemetry first began to be used, the information provided would be relayed to the user over wires. However, today both radio transmissions and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) technology is used for transmitting the data. Another important piece of equipment is the telemeter which is used to record the readings provided and then transmitting them by radio to the telemetry monitoring system.

There are many companies today who advertise in scientific journals as well as online offering telemetry equipment. Such companies as these will have a wide range of equipment to offer from simple radio telemetry solutions through to the much larger site-wide communication networks which are ideal for monitoring energy consumption on any major industrial site. They will also offer such telemetry equipment as simple alarm systems and outstations along with radio modems, wireless sensors, radio telemetry links, radio data networks, scanning telemetry systems and GSM products. There are also on-site paging transmitters and receivers and high performance radio modules which can be used for integration into OEM equipment?

Many of these companies are able to provide the user with a telemetry equipment package that will be able to meet their specific requirements and are continually looking at ways of advancing the technology that is used in telemetry today.